GENEVA - An independent UN commission said Wednesday that the Syrian government has likely used chlorine gas to attack civilians and

that the Islamic State group committed crimes against humanity with attacks on civilians in two cities in the country's north and west.

The report from the commission, which has been tasked to investigate potential war crimes in the country, marks the first time the United Nations has assigned blame for the use of the chemical agent. Specifically, the commission said government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad likely unleashed chlorine on civilians in northern Syrian villages eight times in April.